XIX LETTERS FROM THE FUGITIVE
Pauline's flight was deemed by many a confession of guilt. The DistrictAttorney declared his intention of cabling a command to hold her forexamination at Alexandria. Or, he said, perhaps it would be better tointercept her course at Gibraltar or Naples.
The people at Garden Steps paid little attention to these suggestions, soabsorbed were they in planning for themselves.
"Poor child," said Haviland, "she ran away in sheer panic. You don't knowPauline as we do, Mr. Stone; she is brave in the face of a present ormaterial danger. When a gardener's cottage burned, she was a realheroine, and saved a tiny baby at risk of her own life. But always avague fear or an intangible dread throws her into a wild, irresponsiblestate, and she loses her head utterly. Now, I may as well own up that Ido think Polly committed this deed. I think that she had stood Aunt Lucyas long as she possibly could, and you've no idea what the poor child hadto put up with. I think that when Lady Lucy threatened to send Paulineaway, homeless and penniless, this panic of fear overcame her and shegave that poison, on an impulse,----"
"But," interrupted Stone, "that would imply her having the poison inreadiness. She couldn't procure it at a moment's notice."
"That's so," agreed Haviland, thoughtfully; "but, even so, it's my beliefthat that's the way it all happened. How Pauline got the stuff I've noidea, but there's no other explanation that fits the facts. Aunt Lucy'saversion to drugs or medicines could have been overcome by few people,but Pauline could have wheedled her into taking it by somemisrepresentation of its healing qualities or something like that."
"It must have been under some such misapprehension that she took it,"said Stone. "For I'm convinced she took it dissolved in a glass of water,and therefore, was conscious of the act, though not of the nature of thedose. But couldn't Miss Stuart have given it innocently by mistake, as aheadache powder, or----"
"Miss Carrington never had headaches," returned Anita, "and, any way,Pauline couldn't make such a mistake. It isn't as if Miss Carrington hada medicine cabinet like other people, where drugs might get mixed up. No,Mr. Stone, there was no mistake."
"You think Miss Stuart administered the poison purposely, to kill heraunt?"
It would have been a brazen soul indeed, that could have spoken falselyunder the piercing gleam in Fleming Stone's eyes then.
"I am forced to think that," replied Anita, quietly. "And you know I waspresent when Miss Carrington denounced Pauline and told her to leave thishouse the next day. And I also heard Miss Carrington when she said,later, that half her fortune should not go to a niece who treated her asPauline did----"
"Would she have used those words in speaking to Miss Stuart?" askedStone, pointedly.
"Surely she would. Why not?"
"Never mind all that, 'Nita," said Haviland. "Polly's gone,--runaway,--and it's up to us to do all we can to help her. If her flightmeans she's guilty, never mind, we must stand up for her, and denyanything that incriminates her. If she did poison Aunt Lucy, we don'twant her convicted of it. She'll go straight to Loria, and he'll look outfor her all right. But if we find anybody's going to head her off atNaples, or anywhere, we must warn her and help her to thwart theirplans."
"Accessory after the fact--" began Stone.
"Sure!" said Haviland. "You bet we'll be accessories after the fact, tohelp Polly out! Why, Mr. Stone, if she did this thing, the best possibleplan for her was to vamoose, just as she did do. Carr Loria can hide herin Egypt, so nobody can find her, and after a while----"
"Mr. Haviland," and Stone's eyes gleamed, "I am surprised at yourattitude. How can you so easily take Miss Stuart's guilt for granted?"
"No other way out. Now, look here, Mr. Stone, neither Miss Frayne nor Idid this thing. We weren't tied to Miss Carrington's apron strings. Wecould walk off and leave her if we chose. But Miss Stuart couldn't. Herlife was a perfectly good hell on earth. I know all about it, a lot more,even, than Miss Frayne does. I don't quite say I don't blame Polly, but Ido say I quite understand it. She is an impulsive creature. She'll standan awful lot and then fly all to pieces at some little thing that setsher nerves on edge. She's clever as the Devil, and if she procured thataconite, long ago, say, it was in anticipation of some time whenshe--well, when she just reached the limit. And it happened to come thatnight. That's all."
"Wrong, Mr. Haviland, all wrong!" and Stone's face was positivelytriumphant. "I've found an additional hint, in what you've just said, andI'm convinced I'm on the right track! One more question, Miss Frayne,about that conversation you so luckily overheard."
"Luckily?" said Anita, her great blue eyes showing alarm in theirstartled gaze.
"Surely! Most fortunate, to my mind. Indeed, it may well be that thatcarefully exact memorandum of yours may be the means of clearing MissStuart of all suspicion. Now, tell me this. You heard only MissCarrington's voice, as if speaking to somebody. Did it sound as if shespoke always to the same person, or to more than one at the differenttimes?"
"Well, it did sound as if she spoke to different persons, but it couldn'thave been so. Surely, if there had been more than one I must have heardsome other words than her own."
"Never mind your own surmises. You say, it seemed as if she addressedmore than one person. Why?"
"Because she used a different intonation. At times angry, at timesloving. But this is only an impression, as I now look back in memory. Ihaven't thought about this point before."
"Nor need you think of it again. You have told me all I want to know, andI assure you it will be of no use for you to mull this over or give itanother thought."
"But I don't want you to think, Mr. Stone," and Anita began to cry, "thatI want to suspect Pauline----"
"I am not considering your wishes in the matter," said Stone, coldly. "Ifyou do not want to think Miss Stuart implicated in this matter, yourwords and actions are unintelligible to me, but they are equallyunimportant, and I have neither time nor thoughts to waste on them."
With this somewhat scathing speech, Stone went away, leaving the angryAnita to be comforted by Haviland.
"What did he mean?" she cried, her cheeks pink with anger, and her blueeyes shining through tears. "Gray, does he suspect me?"
"No, Anita, of course not. But he's on a trail. Perhaps it wasn't Pollyafter all."
"But it had to be! It was somebody in the house, and it wasn't you or meor any of the servants."
"Well, you listen to me, girl. If they quiz you any more about thattalkfest you butted into, don't you color the yarn to make it seemagainst Polly. I won't have it!"
"How cross you are! But I never did, Gray. I never made it seem to beevidence against Pauline."
"You never did anything else!"
"Don't you love me any more?" and the soft lips quivered as an appealingglance was raised to his face. Her eyes, like forget-me-nots in the rain,were so beautiful, Haviland clasped the lovely face in both his hands,and said as he held it: "I won't love you, 'Nita, if you go back on ourPolly. I'm surprised at your attitude toward her just now, and I warn youI won't stand any more of it. I'm forced to think she did this thing, butI intend to admit that to nobody but you and Stone. If he can find thereal criminal, and it isn't Polly, I'll bless him forever. But you know,as well as I do, why he is clinging to that forlorn hope. It's becausehe's----"
"Of course, I know! Because he's in love with her."
"Yes; and it's a remarkable thing for him to fall head over heels in loveat first sight, like that."
"Well, of course, she is handsome," and Anita's grudging admission wasreal praise.
"You bet she is! And old Stone fell for her in a minute! Now there's theold adage of 'Love will find a way,' and if Fleming Stone has any magicability, or whatever these wizard detectives claim, he's going to work itto the limit to prove Polly innocent. And I hope to goodness he succeeds.Great Scott! I wouldn't suspect the girl if there was a glimpse of agleam of any other way to look. But, you hear me, Anita! Don
't you say aword, true or false, that will help on the case against Pauline Stuart! Iwon't stand for it! And don't you say you saw her coming from that room,when you _know_ you didn't!"
The postman came just then, and brought with him two letters addressed inPauline's dashing hand.
"Well, what do you know about that!" exclaimed Gray, half glad and halfscared at the sight. "One for me, and one for F. S. Here, Anita, take Mr.Stone's to him, while I eat up mine."
"I won't do it! I want to see what's in yours, first," and Anita stood byGray's side to look over his shoulder.
"All right, then," and they read together:
Dear Gray:
I couldn't help it. You see, I was so frightened at what you all said, that I didn't know what to do. I came over to New York, with a vague idea of asking Mr. Price to help me. I stayed with Ethel all night, and somehow things seemed to look so black, I couldn't think of anything but to go to Carr. I went down to the steamer office to see about changing my tickets for an earlier date, or something, and I found the _Catalonia_ sailed to-day. I'm scratching this off to go back by the pilot. I had about two hours to get ready, so I bought a trunk and some clothes, went to the bank and got a letter of credit, and here I am. I don't know yet whether I'm glad or sorry to be here. But I know I could not stand it at Garden Steps another minute, with you and Anita both against me! Mr. Stone doesn't believe I did it, but he is doubtful of being able to prove my innocence, so I'm going to Carr, and you can address me in his care. He's my nearest relative, and it's right for me to go there. I cabled him from New York to expect me, and to meet me at Alexandria. I'd write more, but it's most time for the pilot to go, and I want to send a word to Mr. Stone. Of course, you will look after all my bills and affairs till further notice.
Pauline.
"Good Lord!" said Gray, "Think of that poor child going off like that,because she thought you and I were against her!"
"Well, aren't you?" asked Anita, an angry gleam in her eyes.
"No! never!" shouted Gray. "If Pauline is guilty a thousand times, I'mnot against her! I'm _for_ her, Anita, for her, first, last and all thetime! Come on, now, let's take Mr. Stone his letter."
They found Stone in the boudoir, the room where the ghastly crime hadbeen committed. He spent many hours here of late; it seemed necessary forthe furthering of his theory, and yet, whenever any one was admitted tohis presence there, he was found sitting staring at the room and itsfurnishings, as if waiting for the inanimate objects to speak.
"A letter? From Miss Stuart?" he said, eagerly. "I hoped for one, by thepilot."
He opened it, and after a glance handed it over to Haviland.
It said, only:
My dear Mr. Stone:
Thank you for your belief in me, and forgive me for running away. And, please,--oh, I beg of you, _please_ drop the case entirely. Your further investigation and discovery can only bring sorrow and anguish to my already distracted soul. I have no time to write more, but assume that I have put forth any or every argument that could persuade you, and at once cease all effort to learn who is responsible for the death of my aunt.
Sincerely yours,
Pauline Stuart.